FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2025 – Saint Paul, MN – The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) is extremely concerned about the Administration’s pause of federal grant funding, particularly to nonprofit organizations. To enact such a sweeping decision with less than one day’s notice is severely harmful and simply absurd.
“The lives of the most vulnerable Minnesotans and our nonprofit sector’s ability to meet their needs will be drastically impacted by this federal grants freeze,” said Nonoko Sato, executive director of MCN.
MCN is hearing extreme distress from nonprofits across the state about the immediate freeze of federal funds, including funds that were previously awarded. There are immediate and extreme concerns regarding nonprofits’ ability to continue to meet critical community needs and for nonprofits to cover expenses already incurred including payroll for Minnesota’s 376,328 nonprofit employees.
With no specifics from the Office of Management and Budget regarding specific funds or organizations affected, this action is extremely harmful and is causing widespread disruption.
MCN is actively engaging with elected officials, including Governor Tim Walz, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minnesota’s state and federal delegation, and the National Council of Nonprofits, to gain clarity. Our goal is to mitigate the extreme distress and impact on our state’s most vulnerable communities and the operations of Minnesota’s 8,641 nonprofits and their employees.
“MCN remains steadfast in our commitment to ensure that our most vulnerable and traditionally marginalized communities and nonprofits that serve them are protected,” continues Sato. “To that end, we are collecting stories, data, and any relevant information from nonprofits regarding the impact of this decision as we communicate and collaborate with our national and local partners, elected officials, and other key decision makers.”
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Media contact:
Laura Dunford, deputy communications director
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
[email protected]